A collection of walks, discoveries, insights and pictures of exploring Dartmoor National Park
July 19, 2026
Riverless West – East Crossing of North Dartmoor
Completed in October 2017, this route of approx 10 miles was completed as a challenge of crossing Northern Dartmoor avoiding the crossing of any river, stream, brook or lake. The difficulty is that most Dartmoor watercourses (in general) flow north or south, so walking in a west/east direction means that it is inevitable that water will be encountered or needed to be crossed unless a purposeful route is taken. There are two main ‘pinch points’ which were considered; firstly where the head of Amicombe Brook (near Amicombe Hole) almost meets a tributary of West Okement River and secondly the head of River Taw and head of East Dart River. If these two ‘pinch points’ were not used the challenge would have failed.
The route chosen was from Sourton village to Shilstone Tor. The route starts with a steady climb to the Iceworks to the north of Sourton Tors, then climbs once more to Branscombe’s Loaf. The route then follows the West Okement ridge line to Kitty Tor and onto Amicombe Hill. Descending then to the pinch point just north of Amicombe Hole, the route then goes to Great Kneeset and onto Cranmere Pool (avoiding West Okement River). The ground to the east of Great Kneeset can be tough going through the peat. After Cranmere Pool, carefully navigating between Taw Head and East Dart Head the route takes a short climb to Hangingstone Hill (the highest point of the walk at 603m). Then down the hill towards Wild Tor and onwards to Hound (Round) Tor and Kennon Hill before the final stretch to Shilstone Tor.
The full route of the North Dartmoor Riverless Traverse from West to East – Sourton to Shilstone Tor. Sourton – St. Thomas a Becket Graveyard. The author always makes a trip here when starting a walk from the village to visit the grave of his Step-Uncle who just so happens to have the same name. The church was dedicated in honour of St. Thomas a Becket in the 14th Century by descendants of two knights who had taken part in the murder of Thomas, Archbishop of Canterbury, in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170 – Fitz Urse and William de Tracey (ref: The Church of England’s ‘A Church Near You’ website)The first part of the North Dartmoor Riverless Traverse. Note the route is not GPS created and there were side trips to the Iceworks and Steng-a-Tor. The Iceworks with Sourton Tors on the horizon. The iceworks were established in 1876, but the first good ice crop was not until 1879. Ice was exported to Plymouth and London from Bridestowe station. (ref: Helen Harris – Looking over the Iceworks across west Devon and down to Cornwall. The Iceworks business failed through a combination of mild winters (no ice) and hard winters (access to transport impossible) and the works were given up in 1886 (ref: Helen Harris)
Blank Boundstone with view to Meldon Reservoir
Old (part) Apple Crusher on the plateau before climb to Branscombe’s Loaf on Corn Ridge
Branscombe’s Loaf at 538m above sea levelBranscombe’s Loaf. The legend as first described by Sylvia Sayer in 1951;: “Bishop Bronescombe often travelled to the Moor himself… tired and hungry he became, and how a stranger approached him with an offer of bread and cheese, if, in return, the Bishop would get off his horse, take his cap and call him “Master”; how the famished bishop almost did, but the chaplain spied the stranger’s cloven hoof just in time – at which the Bishop cried out to God and made the sign of the cross, whereat the stranger vanished, leaving the bread and cheese turned to stone. They can still can be seen on Corn Ridge and are called Branscombe’s Loaf and Cheese!” (extracted from Tors of Dartmoor website)West Okement Valley – Black Tor and Black-a-Tor Copse
The brooding Steng-a-Tor at 541m above sea level
Sunshine and Shadows at Steng-a-Tor
Leaving Steng-a-Tor. The tor is widely thought to be on the route of the Dartmoor Forest Perambulation of 1240
The second part of the North Dartmoor Riverless Traverse. Note the two ‘pinch points’; firstly between Amicombe Hill and Great Kneeset and secondly between Cranmere Pool and Hangingstone Hill. As Taw flows to the Bristol Channel and East Dart to English Channel, apart from just a few hundred metres, Devon is almost split in two by these water courses
Kitty Tor with Great Links on the horizon at 584m above sea level
Three tors in this view; Kitty Tor, Great Links Tor and Hunt TorKitty Tor looking towards Fordslands Ledge, High Willhays and Yes TorAmicombe Hill – Lints Tor in the centre of the frame
West Okement with view to Kneeset Nose and Brim Brook
Climb to Great Kneeset – view down West Okement Valley
Great Kneeset looking south to Fur Tor, Cut Hill and Great Mis Tor at 567m above sea level
Cranmere Pool Letterbox
Hangingstone Hill Hut at 603m above sea levelHangingstone Hut selfie – some not so sure which way to face!
Peat Charcoal Burning Platform on Wild Tor Ridge
The guy in the cap is known as ‘Fast Bob’Calf near Wild TorThe third and final part of the North Dartmoor Riverless Traverse. Relatively straight forward route from Wild Tor to Shilstone Tor‘Fast Bob’ on Wild Tor
Another Wild Tor pose at 537m above sea level
Hound (Round) Tor at 495m above sea level‘TP’ (Throwleigh Parish) inscription on Hound TorPoinies near Kennon Hill
Shilstone Tor at 335m above sea level
Shilstone Tor – Challenge completed, no watercourses crossed on the west / east traverse
